In the summer of 1968, BBC1 screened the pilot edition of a situation-comedy about the British Home Guard. It was not widely expected to catch on, but it did. Decades after the final series ended, Dad's Army is still capable of attracting massive audiences whenever and wherever it is repeated and is generally considered to be the finest sit-com Britain has ever produced. Great sit-coms project back into our homes a wryly exaggerated vision of what it is that makes us who we have no choice but to be; when we laugh at Dad's Army we laugh at ourselves. Walmington-on-Sea's community of comic characters was brought to life by a brilliant ensemble of performers who, through a mixture of temperament and design, became more and more like the characters they played. Arthur Lowe, unforgettable as the pompous Captain Mainwaring, had it written into his contract that he should not be obliged to remove his trousers in any scene, and refused to take his script home to study.
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About the Author:
Graham McCann writes regularly on politics and culture for a wide range of publications. His previous books include, CARY GRANT: A CLASS APART and MORECAMBE & WISE, also published by Fourth Estate.
Review:
'A hugely entertaining read.' Daily Telegraph 'A splendid new "biography" of the comedy.' Observer 'I knew I would enjoy Graham McCann's book because he started exactly where I would have started: with the best joke a British sitcom has yet devised.' Roland White, Sunday Times 'Excellent. All but essential.' Omer Ali, Time Out 'More than a showbiz yarn. McCann's engaging book pays homage to the great catchlines ("They don't like it up 'em") and the great punchlines ("Don't tell him, Pike!").' Jonathan Sale, Independent 'Irresistible.' John Dugdale, Literary Review
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- PublisherFourth Estate
- Publication date2001
- ISBN 10 1841153087
- ISBN 13 9781841153087
- BindingHardcover
- Number of pages292
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Rating